I built this bench for less than £200!!!

[@hanzon1529]

Thank you for this. You not only shared a lot of details but also the rationale behind your choices. A great learning experience for me. 😅😅😅

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank you, Glad it add value. Andy

[@davidcairns3203]

Great to see you back, Andy

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank you David,

[@ianbeck3369]

As someone who is in the process of building this bench using Andy's plans and videos, I can honestly say that the whole design and implementation is first class. You can build the bench for £200. I know mine cost a fair bit more because I decided to go for a different grade of timber and I wanted the Valchromat inserts and the Medite shelving. This was, however, a personal choice. I wasn't an expert woodworker before I started. I still am not but, I'm a whole lot better than I was because Andy does a super job of explaining how to build the bench step by step in his tutorials. I searched long and hard on the internet for a design of bench which suited my needs and which challenged my skills in terms of its construction. I have learned so much and feel so much more confident in woodworking now. About the only downside is the massive dent in my wallet. Not so much the timber but because I've been seduced into buying the tools to do the job properly. Not that this was a requirement to make it and Andy makes this very clear. It's just that, with a bench this good, you just feel yourself wanting to make it as well as you can and to reap the benefit afterwards by having the right tools to put on top of it... and on the shelves as well!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Ian, This is probably the nicest feedback I have had to date. Thank you so much for taking the time to post this, and if I may say so - your bench is looking absolutely fantastic. Regards Andy

[@flyingwoodshop1545]

Fantastic build! I’ve been thinking about a bench upgrade for years and you’ve got me thinking even more. Thanks for sharing your ideas so clearly!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, I am so glad I made this bench, it is the first thing I see when I walk into the shop and it makes me smile. Not a bad way to start the day :-) Cheers Andy

[@josiahutah3712]

Cool! Thanks for doing this, Andy.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

You are welcome. Andy

[@MINGLE2008]

Thanks for sharing the video.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank you for taking the time to comment, Andy

[@anthonybowyer1874]

Superb video Andy; more of the same would be great.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank you, Perhaps a shop tour at some point.... Andy

[@garyknable1155]

What a sweet bench!!!!!!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank you for the feedback. Andy

[@dermotcolgan]

Fantastic, Thank you. Regarding clamping to the front of the bench: My solution was to drill dog holes all along the front on all 3 cross members. Given that I have an MFT Template / Jig, this works for clamping and also accepts any 20mm Dog accessories.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi Dermot, That is a good idea, I could do that across the upper and lower braces. I’ll give it some thought. Andy

[@miatafunrun3078]

Awesome Bench. I just started woodworking so I don't think I have the skill levels to build this yet. But definitely going to do the course when my skills build up.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, I think a bench build is a great way of developing your skills. And as it is a bench, it doesn’t really matter if it is not perfect. Go on, give it a go - you will surprise yourself. Andy

[@michael.knight]

I like the Festool wallpaper you have on the left wall of your shop.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

LoL, That is no ordinary wallpaper. That is very high quality, precise Festool wallpaper. Cheers Andy

[@michael.knight]

@@TheWoodgrafterJokes aside, that's a great workbench!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank you, It came out well. Cheers Andy

[@geoffhayday6003]

A well thought out design, well done.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank you very much!

[@l.k.1011]

Awesome bench, great design! Especially the black mdf inlays are a great idea I haven't seen it till now.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi L.K. Thank you for the feedback. Andy

[@marconeill9510]

Very nice mate 👍

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Cheers Marc, Love that bench, Regards Andy

[@magnatimberworksclinthurst6209]

Good job Andy ! Lots of food for thought.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, Thank you for the feedback. Andy

[@mainie6719]

Great review Andy, looking forward to finishing mine :)

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thank Paul, How is the build going ? Andy

[@mainie6719]

@@TheWoodgrafter Stock arrived and dimensioned, building 2 benches, one will hold my router set up, adding the two runs of T track to the front face. Got plenty of Valchromat but its blue and purple, so that will brighten up the workshop or fungalow as the kids call it. Just got to finish my mobile base for my Festool TKS80, then I am good to go with the rest of the build, wife permitting :) Will send some pictures when finished.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Nice, Yes I remember you saying you where going for the two benches. The purple comes up really nice when you get a coat of oil on it. I look forward to the pictures. Andy

[@josiahutah3712]

One feature I have been thinking about doing on a future bench are embedded vacuum clamps. Would make certain sanding and routing tasks much easier. Especially with thin stock where side clamping interferes and sits taller than the work piece.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi Josiah, I have thought about that, and did design a module for the bench that would be a vacuum plug in to work with the Festool Vac. In the end I didn’t move forward with the idea, as I wanted the router functionality over the vacuum. But yes, it would work. Andy

[@tmitch45]

Great video thanks! I'm starting out and loved the look of the MFT from the 10min workshop but it seemed just so expensive for anyone let alone a beginner. I decided to order an MFT top and a fence and benchdog system. I plan to modify my previously made benches to accommodate the MFT top and give me around 3m of length. This video has inspired me and has some cool features I'll definitely look to adapt and utilise in my design. Great timing and thanks once again. Subscribed!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, Great to have you on bard - the way younger going makes perfect sense, a CNC made top and build a substantial base. You will never look back. Let me know if you need anything. Andy

[@MrDBT85]

Finally contemplating building the benches for my lockdown built workshop there are several things of interest to me in this video. I too have thought about moving the rearmost dog holes further back when using the benchdogs as the space behind is otherwise wasted. I'd also not considered using c24 untreated for the bench. I've got 7m of wall to fill and need to get a Kapex 60 in there somewhere too. Right now the whole space is still so temporary that at 30m2 it feels clutterd just because there isn't enough storage, just 5 drawers and 1 set of shelves! Given you no longer need to secure the fencedogs from under the table, could you not have moved that fence back even further to the wall by putting the holes in the real tree meat rather than the Valchromat? You'd lose the bit of space currently occupied by your printed storage trays of course. I'll give this design some serious consideration.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi thank you for the questions. I have now actually moved the fence back by putting in a couple of offset holes in the top. However - these are still in the valchromat part of the bench. I was nervous about wood movement knocking the accuracy of the fence out to the holes on the top. So didn’t go into the wood. If you are using a track saw, you also need to think about leaving clearance for the saw to pass the end of the fence and not hit the wall. I managed to squeeze another 48mm of capacity out of the bench. However - I don’t tend to use it, as those trays are pretty useful. Good storage is the key, the next project is under bench storage modules. Cheers Andy

[@grahamocarroll9052]

Well designed hybrid bench. Aĺ the functionality of a MFT and the weight of a traditional bench. Have you thought adding a vice? Thanks for your time, inspirational video.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, The original design had a leg vice, but then I thought about the T Track as a clamping option and went down that route. The more I thought about the legs vice protruding from the front of the bench, the more I decided I didn't want it. I have used a leg vice for years on my hand tool bench - and so far I haven't missed it. Cheers Andy

[@samrix5793]

Love it!!

[@samrix5793]

Although I had to resize as couldn't fit it in

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Thanks Sam, Did you build it in the end ? Andy

[@samrix5793]

@@TheWoodgrafter sorry about the delay in replying I'm half way through it, I've made the legs and parts for the top but haven't laminated yet. Hopefully get it done for the summer. I've got to make room as well as currently got an incra router table taking up space. I'll share on the forums when I'm done!

[@denty32]

Great versatility in that bench Andy

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, Yes it came out well, I am looking forward to building the tool chests. Just need more hours in the day. Andy

[@denty32]

@@TheWoodgrafter we all need more hours in our days

[@paultay23]

Great video Andy and you have a superb bench system there... Far better then the Festool MFT benches.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Cheers Paul, Yes it came out pretty well, great solution for the small workshop. Andy

[@josiahutah3712]

That incra mounted speed plate is sweet!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Yes, That worked out well, super simple to make and very accurate. Andy

[@mikeselby31]

Hi Andy Good review of the bench and a solid, well thought out project. Interested to know further how much extra the Valcromat cost for the bench and where you obtained it from?

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi Mike, A sheet of standard 18mm MDF 1220 x 2440 will cost around £23.70 from my supplier A sheet of 19mm Valchromat 1220 x 2440 will cost around £130.80 from my supplier I use a local company Atlantic Timber near Manchester www.atlantictimber.co.uk/valchromat-coloured-throughout-mdf-black.html So as you can see, a bit of a price difference. Andy

[@garyknable1155]

@@TheWoodgrafter It looks more costly but I bet it's more long lasting and worth it in the long run?

[@DrBoobY2K]

​@@garyknable1155 Valchromat is about 30% stronger than standard mdf, significantly less wear and tear on cutting tools. It contains no (or almost no) formaldehyde compared to a nasty amount in MDF. It's more ecologically sound and the dyes used are organic, and give it the unique natural look. It's fucking expensive though. Sydenham plywood in Bristol by far have the best prices in the UK. Oh, the other con is, if it's not finished properly it can be prone to fingerprints. I'm actually curious what the woodgrafter uses (though I guess as it's a workbench fingerprints don't really matter too much.)

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi all, Thomas has hit all the high spots, to be honest though I went for the atheistic, it looks beautiful when it is treated. I use a quality oil wax finish, OSMO in my case. I sanded to about 120, applied a coat let it soak for about 20mins, cleaned off. Quick de-nib, second coat, let it soak for 20 mins, rub it off. I then let it dry over night - this allows the wax to harden, then buffed with a soft cloth. And good to go. I haven’t noticed finger marks, but I have noticed it has dried out. Working theory, it is still soaking up. So I will be cleaning down and applying a third and perhaps fourth coat. It doesn’t need it as everything is nicely sealed - I just want that deep deep black. I am so pleased with it, that when I build the cabinets under the bench, I am going to put black drawer fronts on it made out of the same material. With a very light (Ash?) accent on the partitions and case. Anyhow, enough rambling. Cheers Andy

[@mauserkk98]

Interesting price ,the extra machining and working around defects with epoxy may add a bit .

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, It runs at around £140 a sheet 1220x2440 for 19mm Cheers Andy

[@garyfoster3076]

Nice - as smart as you are you need to give the Royal Family some advice 😎

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Not sure they are into wood work.....

[@Richardsumilang]

This is now my dream bench! In your last video you mentioned you had the plate for the ts 55 to go on the cms table. Did you figure out a way to integrate that here?

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi, no I didn’t do that in the end as I have the CMS table as well. I will be creating some sort of CMS type table at some point to hold the TS55 then I can move away from the CMS, but that is on a long long list of things to do. Cheers Andy

[@Richardsumilang]

@@TheWoodgrafter Wonderful thanks for sharing! One last question, have you seen any other companies that make a way to use the TS55 as a table saw? I'm asking because the plate is no longer available in the US and in many other countries. Thank you!

[@TheWoodgrafter]

That’s a shame, it worked really well, No I haven’t seen anything commercially available. A few have made them and posted on you tube. I haven’t watched these but a quick search ‘TS55 as a table saw’ gives some results, such as this one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHbJl3R-lNKdkLs I stress, I haven’t watched it :-) Cheers Andy

[@rorychallands8516]

Hi Andy. I've been looking around for a hybrid bench for MFT-style and hand tool work. This looks like a great option. I'm sure you go into this in the course, but what are the recommendations for people (like me) who don't have a planer/thicknesser for milling the construction lumber?

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi Rory, You can purchase pre cut timber from your big box store and then hand plane it to give a good joint. That is pretty much how I built the hand tool bench. It is a Labour intensive project but gives you good results. I show this technique on the hand tool bench course, that is a free course over on the web site. It maybe worth a look - episode 2 from memory. www.thewoodgrafter.com Cheers Andy

[@SteveinJersey1234]

Really excellent design, Andy. I’m rather new to MFT-style work benches and was about to embark on building a Ron Paulk bench. But I really like the innovative refinements that you’ve designed. Excuse me for asking this ‘newbie question’ but how do you secure your Festool cutting rails to your new work surface? I believe that you used Festool rail hinges on your former MFT table. With your new bench, are you using something like UJK Dog Rail Clips to anchor the rails to bench dogs? Or are you simply butting the rails up against the dogs and relying upon the friction grip strips on the bottom of the rails?

[@TheWoodgrafter]

Hi Steve, I like Ron’s design, but I wanted something more solid to accommodate hand tool working. Torsion tops in isolation tend to have ‘bounce’ for actions like chiselling etc. Your design should really reflect the work you do, if it is pure tower tool work then Ron’s Bench is a good design. My design was aimed at more hybrid type work. I use a product from Benchdogs.co.uk to attach the rails to the bench. Have a look at these benchdogs.co.uk/collections/bench-dogs/products/rail-dogs-b-collars-grooved-mafell-bosch-dewalt I like these as the cut lies between the holes, with the rail clips the. It tends to run through the holes. If you purchase you can get 5% discount using the code ‘thewoodgrafter’ at checkout. Cheers Andy

[@SteveinJersey1234]

@@TheWoodgrafter Thanks, Andy. In my case, due to the nature of my basement floor, I have to mount the workbench top on saw horses. And I am mostly a power tool person anyhow. I was not aware of the Rail Dogs, and I do like that design much better, so thanks for the recommendation and I will use your code if/when I purchase. I first have to see whether they will fit in the T-Track grooves in my Kreg rails. I am aware that the Kreg rails have a different profile than Festool's and Makita's, but it appears that the location of the downward facing T-Track is in the same place - along the edge of one side. So I'm cautiously optimistic they'll work.

[@TheWoodgrafter]

@@SteveinJersey1234 The way the dogs work is they had a T nut that fits into the top of the dog, you can buy different size T Nuts for the rail. If you can measure the internal profile (width and depth) of the t-track I will check with Ralph to see if something fits. Cheers Andy

[@SteveinJersey1234]

@@TheWoodgrafter Thanks so much, Andy. The internal profile of the t-track is 12mm wide by 6mm high. And one other thing: I had mixed up the location of the downward facing t-track on the Kreg rail: as with the Festool and Makita rails, it's the one towards the center of the rail, and not along the edge. But in the case of the Kreg, it's closer to the actual center of the rail than the other brands - i.e. the center of the t-track is about 75mm from the non-splinter-guide edge. As a result, the cutting edge of the rail would skirt the extreme edge of the nearest open row of dog holes. Not that big a deal to me, as - in those situations where I would be using the rail dogs - I would likely use either a sacrificial board or low profile dog biscuits so as not to cut into the surface of the ACS table anyhow.

[@maustinau]

Yeah cool bro. What makes you think that someone with a drop saw would be watching a video on how to make work benches? Anyway, nice Festool